Cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was measured by a modified indicator-dilution technique in 20 anesthetized dogs (6-12 kg), during repeated 1- to 2-min episodes of electrically induced ventricular fibrillation, by a mechanical chest compressor and ventilator. With compression rates from 20 to 140/min and compression durations (duty cycles) from 10 to 90% of cycle time, cardiac output (CO) was predicted by the equation: CO = CR . SVmax . [DC/(k1 . CR + DC)] . [(1 -- DC)/k2 . CR + 1 - DC)], where CR is compression rate, DC is duty cycle, SVmax (19 ml) is the effective capacity of the pumping chamber, and k1 (0.00207 min) and k2 (0.00707 min) are ejection and filling constants. This expression predicts maximal CO for DC = 0.40 and cR = 126/min and 90-100% of maximal CO for 0.3 less than DC less than 0.5 and 70 less than CR less than 150/min. Such mathematical analysis may prove useful in the optimization of CPR.